Crystal ball Clear
by blue artemis
Summary: Sybill sees something in her crystal ball that makes her change everything.


Sybill sat in her tower, gazing into her crystal ball. She hid her talents within her charade as a crazy old fraud. Dumbledore would have probably had Severus poison her if he knew she remembered everything. She wanted to keep Harry Potter far away from herself, so she kept telling him he would die horrible deaths. It was rather entertaining. But, back to the ball. She was drawn into a scene in a swirl of smoke, of herself with a young man, happily married, with a child. _Hmmm__, __a __ginger__. __Probably __a __Weasley__. __Not __William__, __he __would __be __too __hard __to __work __with__, __but __oooh__, __Ronald__! __I __must __find __the __best __way __to __tell __him__. _The image changed, showing Ronald asking Hermione Granger to the Yule Ball, then changed again, showing him and Hermione at Kings Cross with two children... _I __can__'__t __have __that__. __This __is __the __first __time __I __ever __see __myself __with __any __happiness__. __I __must __stop __it__._

_Hermione__'__s __a __girl__. __And __she __likes __me __mostly__, __even __when __I__'__m __a __git__. __So__, __I__'__m __going __to __ask __her __to __the__Ball__. _Ronald Weasley had made up his mind as he headed up to Divination that fateful Thursday. Class was fine, Ron and Harry were making up horrible ways to die, when Trelawney asked him to stay behind.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Mr. Weasley, I see a great future for us, a happy marriage and a child. Now, I know you are underage, but I am quite willing to wait. I know you don't believe I'm a real seer, but I am." Sybill looked at her prey, well, suitor to be, expectantly.

Ron passed out. Not even a Rennervate could revive him, so Sybill had Harry, who had been waiting outside, help her take him to the Hospital Wing.

"Ronnie, what happened?"

"It was horrible, Mum! She said she saw us in the future, together, with a sprog! She meant it, too! I don't want to be at school if she's going to be making cow eyes at me, Mum!"

Molly looked helplessly toward Arthur.

He shrugged. He knew as well as she did that if Sybill Trelawney wanted Ron, she would get him. There was that old marriage contract in their vault. They never expected it to be exercised... but if wishes were broomsticks, then Muggles would fly.

"Minerva, would it be alright if we took Ronald home for the rest of the school year? If the teachers would send his assignments, I will make sure they are done and owl them in. There are things he's going to need to know, for his future," Molly said.

"That should be fine, Molly. Although his friends will miss him, this absence may be for the best. He was being a bit divisive this year," responded Minerva.

So it was settled, and Ron headed home with his parents.

* * *

"Yew look sad, Hermioninny."

"I'm not really sad, Viktor. I'm just confused. What could make Ron just leave like that?"

"Vhy does this matter? He vasn't wery nice to yew."

Hermione looked up into the earnest face of the young man speaking to her. "I guess you are right. But it still bothers me that I've had two good friends in my life and now one of them is gone. And he probably won't be coming back, at least not as anyone I can call a friend after this."

"Do not vorry. I vill entertain yew. I be better friend. Maybe more, ya?" His rather thick brows drew together in a furrow. "Yew come vith me to Ball? Vear pretty dress?"

"Why me?"

"Vhat do you mean?"

"I'm bookish, boring, unattractive..."

"I do not understand. Yew have beautiful eyes, and a more beautiful heart. So yew like books, so do I! I like talking vith yew, I do not think boring is good vord."

"He's right, 'Mione. About all of it," said a very quiet Harry, who had gone seeking his friend.

"Harry?"

"So, are you going to go with him?"

Hermione turned to look at Viktor, who raised an eyebrow at her, then waggled it, making her grin. "Yes, yes, I think I will."

"Vonderful! I get best vitch at Hogvarts as date!"

As the happy Bulgarian left the library, Hermione turned to Harry and started giggling. "Do you have a date yet, Harry?"

"No. I know Ginny Weasley's been angling for me to ask her, but I think it is a bit strange to date someone everyone says kind of looks like my Mum. They can't have my parents back by having me date a red-head."

"What about Luna Lovegood?"

"Who?"

"Her." Hermione pointed at a fey looking blonde girl sitting at the next table, missing her shoes.

Harry shrugged at her, then walked over to the girl. "Hi, I'm Harry."

Luna looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "Yes, I know that. Did you get lost?"

"I don't think so, why do you ask?"

"No one comes over to talk to me voluntarily. Not usually. They think I'm looney."

"Why do they think you are looney?"

"Because, because, oh, I think there are Nargles!"

"What's a Nargle?"

"They are little magical creatures that make your thinking fuzzy. You must be infected if you are talking to me."

"No. I think I like you. Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Really? Why?"

"I need a date. At least that is what McGonnagall said."

"No, why do you like me?"

"You treat me like Harry, not 'The Boy-Who-Lived.'"

"Maybe there aren't Nargles."

Hermione smiled. Luna had distracted Ron one day for her, and although she found the girl strange, she felt like she had paid off a debt by sending Harry her way.

* * *

"Ronnie, dear, we have something we need to explain to you," said Molly.

Ron just looked at her wide-eyed. _Nothing __that __starts __THAT __way __can __be __good__._

"There is a marriage contract between the Trelawney family and the Weasley family. It hasn't been used, but if Sybill wants you, then she shall have you. She isn't really that old, dear. She was only nineteen when she became a professor. She's not quite twenty years older than you are. The hair and glasses and tons of gaudy clothing are a bit of a ruse, you'll see."

_Can__'__t __do __any thing __about __a __contract__. __It__'__s __usually __the __girls __that __get __caught__, __but __not __always__. __Guess __I __might __as __well __make __the __best __of __it__. _"All right, Mum. If there's a contract, then I'm bound by it, just like Harry and the stupid Tournament. So, what do I need to know?"

Molly smiled. "Good show, Ronnie. I'm glad you could be a man about it. Since we are going to have to have you ready for marriage early, I'm going to teach you some useful home-maker spells along with your school work. You never know what you might find useful."

Ron sighed. "Fine, Mum. I wasn't very nice to Harry or Hermione this year. I guess I can at least work hard at learning how to be a grown-up."

It would be weeks until he could get his thoughts together well enough to write his friends. He was in for quite a surprise when they wrote back.

_Dear __Harry __and __Hermione__,_

_How __are __you __doing__? __I__'__ve __been __learning __lots __of __stuff__. __Not __only __the __school __stuff__, __which __is __easier __to __learn __when __there __isn__'__t __anyone __around __to __distract __you__, __but __home __stuff__. __I __made __a __copy __of __my __notebook __for __you__, __Hermione__. __You __might __find __it __interesting__. _

_Harry__, __I __was __a __lousy __friend__. __I __hope __you __have __found __some __people __who __are __good __to __you __and __for __you__. __I __certainly __wasn__'__t__. _

_Anyway__, __I __would __appreciate __it __if __you __could __update __me __on __your __lives__. _

_Your __friend__,_

_Ron_

* * *

Harry and Hermione were quite pleased to get a letter from their friend. They showed the note to Viktor and Luna at lunch, about a week before the third task.

They began to gather photos and mementos to return to him in a package, along with good tickets to see the final task.

_Dear __Ron__, _the letter began in Harry's handwriting...

_First __off__, __thank __you __for __the __note__. __It __is __really __nice __to __see __that __you __are __being __mature __about __things __you __can__'__t __change__. __We __are __proud __to __call __you __friend__. _

_Hermione __thinks __you __should __get __all __your __notebook __stuff __together __and __write __a __book__. __Something __like__ "__Wizarding __Housekeeping __for __Dummies__." __Before __you __get __upset__, __we __included __a __couple __of __the__ "__Dummies__" __books __for __you __and __your __dad__, __so __you __can __tinker __with __stuff__. __You __will __see __what __we __mean__._

_We __heard __about __the __contract __from __your __brothers__. __You __know__, __Professor __Trelawney __is __really __really __beautiful__. __She __was __just __hiding__. __We__'__ve __included __a __few __photos__. __There __is __one __of __Hermione __and __Viktor __and __me __and __Luna __at __the __Yule __Ball__. _

_Yes__, __Viktor __Krum __and __Luna __Lovegood__. __Be __happy __for __us__, __will __you__? __And __maybe __you __can __talk __to __your __sister__, __Ron__. __You __are __all __like __family __to __me__. __It __would __feel __weird __to __date __her__, __even __more __because __of __the __way __they __say __she __resembles __my __mother__. __I __want __to __be __my __own __person__, __not __James __Potter __reincarnated __just __because __it __makes __other __people __happy__. __I__'__m __not __a __fairy__-__tale __prince__, __you __know__?_

Ron was a bit jolted when the letter changed to Hermione's handwriting.

_Please__, __please__, __make __your __Mum __see __that __we __are __people __and __not __just __playthings __for __Dumbledore __and __everyone __around __us__. __Ginny __needs __some __help__. __She__'__s __obsessed __and __it __isn__'__t __pretty__. __She __tried __to __do __something __nasty __to __Luna __the __other __day__, __and __Harry __got __so __angry__, __she __was__ hanging __upside __down __in __the __Great __Hall __before __any __of __us __knew __it__, __and __he __yelled __for __her __to __tell __the __truth__, __and __she__'__s __been __in __the __Hospital __Wing __ever __since__. __Oh__, __and __Dumbledore __got __arrested__. __Madam __Bones __was __in __the __hall __and __although __she __agreed __with __the __silencing __bubble__, __she __was _inside _of __it __and __heard __everything__._

_She__'__s __also __Harry__'__s __new __guardian__, __but __that __is __another __story__. __Harry__'__s __fussing __at __me __for __telling __that__, __but __I __think __you __needed __to __know__._

_Anyway__, __here __are __some __tickets __to __the __final __task__. __We __talked __to __Professor __Trelawney __and __Professor McGonnagall__and __Professor __Flitwick __and __we __have __a __plan__. _

_Harry __and __Hermione_

Ron opened the package Hedwig had delivered with trepidation. He read the first few lines of the letter and smiled. Then he read the rest and called for his father. He was pretty sure no one had told his parents about Ginny.

He handed Arthur the letter then sat down to sort through his stuff.

He smiled at the photos. _Hermione __looks __grand__, __and __she __looks __really __good __on __Viktor __Krum__'__s __arm__, __like __she __belongs__. __Harry __and __Luna __look __nice__, __too__._

There were other photos of his friends. Hermione and Viktor laughing at a meal, he was holding out a forkful of something to her. Harry and Luna on brooms, playing tag. Sybill Trelawney looking like Ron's fantasy woman, all curves and blue eyes and curly hair. No glasses, either. _I __can __see __myself __spending __the __rest __of __my __life __happy __with __her__._

He saw the tickets to the final task, enough for him and his parents.

He heard his mother start to yell, then his parents went through the Floo to Hogwarts.

* * *

"Are you vell, Hermioninny?"

"I'm a little worried, Viktor. I wonder what is wrong with Ginny."

"Yew said she vas possessed, correct? If she vas not treated by specialized healer at time, things could be wery bad."

Hermione wondered why no one had noticed that. She decided it was the fact that Durmstrang taught the Dark Arts as well as how to defend against them. "I wonder if that is why Dumbledore was arrested?"

"Partly," Luna's melodious voice broke in. "Also, all the illegal things he did to Harry, including sealing his parents' wills. He's been mentally broken for a while, and covering that up is illegal. Snape was going to be arrested as well, but since he was blackmailed into providing the potions, they just asked him to leave Britain. He's talented, so it should be fine."

Harry just sat there looking shell-shocked.

Viktor put his arm around Hermione. "Do not vorry, my Nin. I vill alvays take care of yew. Yew and new friends as vell," he said, including Harry and Luna.

The final task was quite interesting. First off, they played it on large screens, through someone's omniculars, so that everyone could see. Luna got quite a bit of money from Omni-view for the idea.

Harry and Viktor stuck together, thwarting a few traps. They were soon joined by Cedric, when Fleur just disappeared. When they reached the center, Viktor cast a spell at the cup, and they all realized it was booby-trapped. Cornelius Fudge was angered by this and stormed into the maze to prove them wrong. His head was returned via cup almost immediately with a note.

The war finished almost immediately, what with Voldemort stuck in the puny body he had stolen. Dumbledore told Amelia Bones about the Horcruxes and she enlisted the goblins to help her. Hermione and Harry ended up spending the summer at Viktor's home in Bulgaria, along with Luna and Susan Bones.

"Velcome!" called Viktor when he saw the arrival of his girl and his friends.

They had a wonderful summer, Viktor asking Hermione at the end if she would consider wearing a promise ring.

She accepted.

Ron Weasley made a fortune with his "Wizarding for Dummies" books. Sybill was thrilled that the layabout boy she had decided upon had made himself a wizard worth marrying. They married as soon as he was of age. He did take his NEWTs, she insisted, but only so the buyers of his books could say they were written by a fully qualified wizard.

Hermione and Viktor waited a bit longer, marrying on the tenth anniversary of the Yule Ball, in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. She had trained to be a Healer, specializing in dark curses, and he had retired from Seeking, and had become the owner/manager of the Chudley Canons, making Ron very happy.

Harry and Luna married as soon as she finished Hogwarts. They made the Quibbler into the news standard. The Daily Prophet didn't stand a chance.

* * *

This was written for my dear friend Kyria of Delphi, who needed some new HG/VK fic. I'm not sure this quite counts, but here it is.

And many thanks to Rose of the West for the beta and allowing me to use the following brilliant prompt.

* * *

Here's the prompt, courtesy of E.C. Scrubb.

Alright, I actually really like Ron's character, and think he's severely misunderstood by a lot of fanfiction. However, with that said, there are still some great ways of getting rid of him.

Ron actually has a brain waive and is about to ask Hermione to the Yule-ball. However, Trelawney has a vision of him asking her, and instead, Trelawney confesses her own unrequited love for Ron.

Needless to say, Ron is traumatized and goes home immediately, staying there for the spring semester. Hermione is a little down because of it, and Victor cheers her up.


End file.
